West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-02-04

next I0f DuTutblc anu tIcA AOk Ovu,
the Republicans kave proven that
they are able to act as unit. tits
perfectly well known here that Mr..
Camden's friends have exhausted
effort to obtain for him Republican
votes and it is equally we'll known
that as yet no progress has been
made in that direction. Neverthe-
less his lobby has always appeared
entirely confident that they would
be able to do so presently. 1t is a
significant fact, and it shows the ex-
tent to which our politics are de-
bauched, that respectable gentlemen
are frequently heard to say,-"Cam-
den has too much at stake, and he
has too much money, to be defeated. !"
1t seems to me that this expectation
that corrupt means win be used is a
conclusive argument in favor of the
conduct of those who have resisted,
and by their resistance have defeat
ed his re- election. The trouble with
the Democratic party is, that it
places before thespeople men who do
not command public confidence; the
rank and file DO not believe that
their professions are sincere. Indeed
the circumstance, that there is this
expectation that the office Of Senator
will be purchased with money is con-
elusive proof that we should bring to
the front some man whose qualifica
lions for the Office are found in his
head and not in his pocket. 1t is
absolutely impossible to maintain
the lines or to gain recruits unless
this office, the most important of all
offices, is given to a gentleman who
commands the public confidence and
who is looked up to with respect and
odmiration.
1t is blatantly asserted that Mr..
Camden was, ami is, the choice of
three fourths of the Democratic
members of the Legislature. This
is not true. When YanPelt was
nominated the pledge was given that
he woald not vote for him. Previous
to the election Harding, Gorrell, Hi
ner, Yeager, Crockett, Chambers
and Byrne all said that he was not
their choice; SOmmerville, in his
speech before the Joint Assembly
stated, (as l am informed }, that, I'M
til the caucus, it was not his inten-
ton to support Mr.. Camden; during
the canvass twas believed in Wheel
ing that Gleason and Garden were
to him; neither Shaw or
Rowan could have been elected had
they advocated Mr.. Camden and it
is very certain that Gettinger would
not have been nominated if he had
expressed himsclffor him. In point
of fact, their is every reason to be-
lieve that Mr.. Camden was not the
choice of at least "a of the 80 Dem
ocrats in the Legislature. What
then becomes of the blatant assertion
that he had three-fourths OF his par
ty? The simple truth is that his
ascertained tina. he had
% and probably q votes which
would be majority and they also
that by raising great
clamor for party discipline and par.
ty usage they could coax, weedle or
bulldoze into the caucus eight or
nine gentlemen who did not favor his
reelection. Once in the caucus
those who opposed him would be
bound by its result, and the caucus
was held in order 10 capture these
nine votes.
Mr.. Camden was advised that at
least u Democrats would not go
into Il caucus, the Nresult of which
was predetermined. 1t required 46
votes to elect, the caucus would en-
sure 81 and he expected to obtain 8,
This is the simple
truth and the whole story. Failing
to obtain Republican aid his friends
to excite q popular
clamor sufficient to intimidate and
frighten from the path of duty the
u true and tried men who now
stand as stone wall between the
Oil Company and thesDe-
mocracy of this State. Fortunately
for the future OF our party these II
gentlemen are men of conviction and
they stood firm.
1t is not my purpose to critizise
harshly, much less to misjudge, the